In many instances where an object is fabricated from several components, there is a need for the points of juncture of the components to be sealed in order to provide the area enclosed by the components with protection, for instance, from penetration by the elements. Such sealing needs are, for instance, exemplified in the case of vehicles by a need to seal the juncture between the doors, trunk lids, and hoods, and the enclosed spaces associated therewith. Such sealing is typically accomplished by the provision of profile strips formed from a material, for example, rubber that includes a relative soft portion, which forms the weatherproof seal, and a harder portion which serves as a carrier for the sealing portion. The carrier portion is commonly provided with a channel formed between two opposed walls connected by a base, designed to accept the insertion of a flange fabricated, for instance, from the sheet metal used to form the vehicles, the flange being located around the enclosed space to be protected.
The method for attaching such profiles involves the placement of the profile channel over the flange, the profile being retained by the frictional force of its channel walls against the flange. When so positioned, the sealing portion of the profile is desirably held in a sealing position.
While the installation of profiles of the type described is readily accomplished, the continual forces applied to the profiles as a consequence of the repeated opening and closing of the doors, trunk lids, hoods, and the like, have a tendency to gradually mis-position the profiles from their sealing location, often leading to failure of the seals.
As a consequence of the foregoing, weatherstrip profiles of the type described are commonly fabricated with reinforcement, for example, reinforcing metal embedded or encased in the carrier. This construction, together with the use of relatively dense rubber employed in forming the channel is designed to enhance the gripping action of the channel on the flanges over which the channel is positioned. However, while the reinforcement-containing carrier is normally available in a range of configurations and sizes that can be individually designed to provide both the required retention and sealing functionality, such devices, nevertheless, have certain inherent disadvantages that are difficult to avoid. Among such disadvantages may be mentioned the additional cost of fabricating reinforced sealing profiles, including the cost of the added operations required for their fabrication compared to unreinforced profiles, as well as the cost of the additional inventory involved. In addition, reinforced sealing profiles, particularly metal-reinforced profiles, are difficult to install around small radius corners without buckling or wrinkling, an effect giving rise to sealing leaks. Furthermore, the use of profiles with reinforcement, for instance encapsulated metal reinforcing, requires sturdier channel wall construction, in turn necessitating heavier profile construction, including the sealing portion of the profile. This has the unfortunate consequence of undesirably increasing compression load deflection of the installed profile, that is, the force required to seat the closure portion of the components whose sealing relationship is required. A further disadvantage of weatherstrips of the prior art is their tendency to become disengaged from the flange on which they are mounted, due to failure of the frictional retentive forces despite the contained metal reinforcement.
In view of the preceding, therefore, it is a first aspect of this invention to provide an improved weatherstrip seal profile.
A second aspect of this invention is to provide weatherstrip seals that are less expensive to fabricate than many of those of the prior art.
Another aspect of this invention is to provide a weatherstrip seal profile that has the ability to traverse relatively small radii without wrinkling or buckling.
Another aspect of this invention is to provide weatherstrip seals that can be anchored more securely to the mounting flanges with which they are associated.
A further aspect of this invention is to provide weatherstrip seals characterized by possessing relatively low compression load deflections.
An additional aspect of this invention is to provide weatherstrip seals that include carriers that have no reinforcement, particularly metal reinforcement therein.
Yet another aspect of this invention is to provide a weatherstrip profile having a channel containing an anchoring, foamed, hot-melt adhesive.